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Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General, speaks to Texas and Southwestern border sheriffs, who were holding their convention in Las Cruces, Wednesday April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center. Josh Bachman/Sun-News

Protestors gather at the corner of East University Avenue and South Valley Drive on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Palms where Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke during the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition Annual Spring Meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition. Robin Zielinski / Sun-News

A group made up of Sheriffs from the Southwest and Law Enforcement, listened to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, give remarks on immigration enforcement along the US/Mexico Border, Wednesday April 11, 2018 at the Las Cruces Ramada Inn and Conference Center. Josh Bachman/Sun-News

A lone protester wears a mask and holds a sign as many more protestors gather across the street at the corner of East University Avenue and South Valley Drive on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Palms where Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke during the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition Annual Spring Meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition. Robin Zielinski / Sun-News

Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General, speaks to Texas and Southwestern border sheriffs, who were holding their convention in Las Cruces, Wednesday April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center. Josh Bachman/Sun-News

Protestors gather at the corner of East University Avenue and South Valley Drive on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Palms where Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke during the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition Annual Spring Meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition. Robin Zielinski / Sun-News

Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General, speaks to Texas and Southwestern border sheriffs, who were holding their convention in Las Cruces, Wednesday April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center. Josh Bachman/Sun-News

Enrique "Kiki" Vigil, Doña Ana County Sheriff, giving response to the speech given by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Texas and Southwestern border sheriffs, who were holding their convention in Las Cruces. Wednesday April 11, 2018 at the Las Cruces Ramada Inn and Conference Center. Josh Bachman/Sun-News

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Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General, speaks to Texas and Southwestern border sheriffs, who were holding their convention in Las Cruces, Wednesday April 11, 2018, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center.(Photo11: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)Buy Photo

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico is one of four border states that will receive additional resources to prosecute immigration offenses, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in a news release that 35 assistant U.S. attorney positions have been created to handle the prosecutions of improper entry, illegal re-entry and alien smuggling cases along the Southwest border.

Six of the positions will be based in New Mexico. The remaining positions will be based in Texas, Arizona and California. The new positions will assist in the prosecutions of immigration offenses under the Justice Department’s “Zero-Tolerance Policy,” announced by Sessions in April.

"By deploying these additional resources to the Southwest border, the Justice Department and the Trump Administration take yet another step in protecting our nation, its borders, and its citizens," Sessions said in a statement.

In addition to the new positions, Sessions and James McHenry, director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, announced the "utilization" of 18 current supervisory immigration judges to adjudicate cases in immigration courts near the southwest border.

One of the judges of will be based in Otero County, according to the release. Four will be based in Texas, including in El Paso. The remaining will be based in California and Texas.